34. Gail Grimmett

2013 Rank: 41

By Daniel Geiger

When Gail Grimmett was put in charge of managing Delta Air Lines’ New York City office six years ago, the company was in the middle of the pack among the city’s major carriers.

But during her tenure, she has helped propel it to No. 1. Delta has 10,000 employees in New York and 482 daily departures from the city. It reported $6 billion in revenue here in 2014—up more than 10% from 2013 and representing more than a third of the local $17 billion airline industry.

A big part of Ms. Grimmett’s strategy is investment. The 49-year-old championed a new JFK terminal that Delta paid $1.2 billion to build in 2013. She helped expand it last year to include 11 new gates, which cost an additional $200 million. At LaGuardia, Delta recently spent $200 million to upgrade its Sky Club, install a food court and create an 800-foot connector between terminals C and D.

More basic upgrades—such as a partnership with star restaurateur Danny Meyer to serve food from his barbecue chain, Blue Smoke, on Delta flights—have also resonated with customers.